Secret of Hope
by Noble Scotsman
Summary: The Lyoko warriors are joined by new OCs as they discover the true secret of hope, and learn what that really means for them. That said, what does the arrival of the new students mean for the Lyoko warriors - will they be accepted into the group or bring about, ultimately, its ruin? Original collaboration between ShadowOdd and Noble Scotsman.
1. Chapter 1

**NS - **Hey guys, Noble Scotsman here with an all-new combined story with the talented and gifted writer, ShadowOdd! We both worked really hard to make this finally come to bear, and we've been planning to do it for a long time, so I'm sure we'd both be really appreciative to get any advice or reviews in general! So, without further ado, enjoy the first chapter of **Secret of Hope!**  


**SO - **Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this story done by Noble Scotsman and I! Hopefully you guys like it and leave plenty reviews but mostly, enjoy our story!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Beads of sweat formed on the head of Odd Della Robbia as he tapped his pencil against the desk nervously. He doubted that his hand had ever moved so quickly, or that his brain had worked so hard in such a short amount of time. He stole a glance at the clock; 3:26 PM, meaning he had 4 minutes left to finish his final Christmas exam.

Running his hands through his hair, he quickly glanced over his shoulder to see how Ulrich and Aelita were doing. Ulrich had finished already, his exam folded at the top right of his desk, signaling that he was done, and was currently attempting to arrange his test supplies into a fortress, using a broken pencil and a spare sheet of paper as a flag. Ulrich glanced up, seeming to feel Odd's jealous gaze pass over his face, and shot him a smile, winking and flashing two thumbs-up before setting back to improve his fortress of school supplies.

On his left, Aelita also had her exam folded up on the top right of her desk, and was sketching in her art pad. From the looks of the drawing, Odd guessed she had finished more than half an hour ago; taking a mere twenty minutes out of their allotted hour to answer all of the questions. Looking up briefly from her masterpiece, she caught Odd's eye and smiled at him, then tapped her watch in concern. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, turning back to his exam, smiling softly at Aelita's concern. He glanced at the clock again; 3:27 PM! He only had 3 minutes left! His eyes flashed down to his paper, eyes narrowing in a challenge to the final question as he began to mumble the question aloud.

"In World War II, roughly how many casualties occurred on a daily basis?" he read to himself, his mind going blank at once. "Ahh! Who the hell knows or cares about this!" he screamed internally as he ran his hands through his hair again, glancing back at the clock unconsciously as he did so.

"One minute left!" Jim called from his desk at the top of the classroom, his head barely visible over the comic book he was poring over. Odd quickly wrote down the number he thought might be closest to the answer, scribbling nearly illegibly so that the teachers would have a harder time narrowing down his answer (and, therefore, a better chance of scoring higher!) before sighing and settling back in his seat as he waited out the remainder of the last minute.

"OK! Time's up! Put your papers on the top right of your desk and you can all leave once it's been collected!" Jim roared as he started to collect papers, the students filtering out of the gym in ones and twos. Odd saw Sissy clutching her head as she stumbled out, and his spirits immediately soared.

"I guess she had a tougher time that I did, huh?" he laughed, leaning back in his chair.

"Della Robbia," Jim said, towering over him. "Passed the final, I hope?" he asked, taking the exam from his favourite student, ruffling his hair fondly as he shoved him towards the door. "See you next semester, kid!"

"Yeah! Merry Christmas, Jimbo!" Odd replied, grabbing his bag and supplies and leaving the classroom. As he walked outside, waiting for Ulrich and Aelita's tests to be collected, he was greeted by the sight of one of his best friends.

"Yumi!" Odd waved as the tall Japanese girl turned her head to smile, recognizing the familiar colour and hairstyle of her best friend. As he approached, her phone rang, and she picked it up, rolling her eyes at Odd as she did so. He shrugged in understanding and joined her.

"Nice ringtone," he teased, baring his teeth in his familiar goofy smile.

"Oh, shut up," she said, flicking her hair to one side.

"No, really, it's…." Odd said, holding up a finger for emphasis. "…unique?"

"Hello?" Yumi said, answering her phone as she ignored Odd. "Oh! Yes - I know… I will! Have a good holiday, then! Give Nan and Granddad my love!" Yumi said before hanging up and shoving the phone back in her pocket, Odd smirked, gesturing to her one-handedly.

"So you finally convinced them to let you stay then?" he asked, shuffling his shoes in the snow, trying to stay warm, and she nodded, smiling.

"Yup! I just told them Aelita wasn't going away this year, and she really wasn't in a good spot, so I asked to stay with her and they said yes!" Yumi beamed, Odd beamed and shook his head in admiration.

"So that means we're all staying in Kadic for Christmas!" Odd smiled. Suddenly, he heard the doors behind him open, followed by the familiar sound of his best friends' voices.

"…And all I'm saying, Ulrich, is that if you had used your eraser as a barricade instead of a drawbridge, it would've added more support!" Aelita said emphatically, gesturing energetically to make her point. Ulrich rolled his eyes as he ran his hand through his short brown hair,

"I think my fort was perfect just the way it was!" he protested, Yumi raised her eyebrows as they reached her and Odd.

"Did I miss something, or…?" she asked Odd, but he shook his head.

"Not really. Ulrich was making a fort with pens, pencils, etcetera while _some_ of us-" he said as he pointed to himself, "-were still busy doing their exam!" he complained, drawing a laugh from his friends. Ulrich wrapped his arm around his best friend and roommates shoulder, winking at him good-naturedly.

"Don't be so upset good-buddy, not all of us are as academically gifted as you are. Guess what? They're serving your favourite food in the canteen today!" Ulrich said, bringing on a round of cheering from Odd as the "academic genius" threw his hands in the air.

"WOO! Spaghetti and meatballs here I come!" he cheered excitedly as they began walking to the canteen with the others, all of them laughing happily.

It was December 15th at Kadic Academy of the Arts, and the snow carpeted the ground, causing snowball fights to break out now and then as the students walked between finals. Today was the last day of testing, though, with History and Art being the final subjects. Everyone except Jeremie had come to school today, both stressed about and relieved that finals were nearing their end. Now that they were over, though, students were ecstatic, and some of them had started a spirited game of "kill the coach" by pelting Jim with snowballs. As fun as this looked to Aelita and Ulrich, Odd was on a mission, and they reached the cantina in record time, despite the snow.

As the group walked to the canteen, Yumi looked up at the snow that was falling gently from the sky, marveling how something so small could cause so many people to change their outfits and don their warmest clothing. Yumi continued looking up at the sky, smiling at how beautiful it was, before walking straight into something. With a start, she fell backwards into the snow, and Ulrich hurried over, a worried look in his eyes. As he helped her sit up and dust off the snow, Yumi noticed she had walked into someone, causing them to fall into the snow too. Smiling apologetically, both she and Ulrich stood ready to help the other girl to her feet.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?! I'm so sorry!" Yumi said worriedly, retracting her hand as a lean, handsome boy helped her 'victim' to her feet, brushing off the snow with delicate, elegant strokes of the back of his hand. Now snow-free, the girl turned to Yumi, her face apologetic

"It's not your fault! Don't worry!" the girl smiled, re-adjusting her bag on her shoulder, Aelita stared at her before speaking up,

"I've never seen you around before! Are you new here?" Aelita asked, the girl nodded and smiled,

"Yes! Today is my first day! Well, moving here, I know school ended for the Christmas break and there's going to be not many students here but my mom and dad thought it'd be a good time for me to get to know the school!" the girl replied to Aelita with a smile,

"Well, in that case then! Welcome to Kadic academy! I'm Aelita Stones!" Aelita said introducing herself, the girl smiled.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Emily Autumns!" Emily replied happily. During this exchange, the rest of the gang had taken the time to take her in. She was roughly about 5'5, shorter than any of them, and her skin was pale but in the way it made her glow. Her eyes were a deep shade of hazel, and joy and happiness seemed to dance within them when she held someone's gaze, and she had a single freckle under her left eye. Her hair was blood red, which, although dyed, somehow suited her perfectly. She wore a woolly white hat over her hair, a red bauble bouncing merrily, a white cardigan over a red and white t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and, per Christmas regulation, she wore white and brown warm woolly shoes. Although throughout the gang there were many different reactions, there was one thing they all agreed on; she was very beautiful. Shaking his head as his friends fell back to reality, Ulrich, who had been transfixed by Yumi's beauty while watching the snow earlier and had resisted the paralyzing powers of this girl's charm, spoke up.

"Hey, I'm Ulrich," he said, extending his hand to her, locking eyes with her. She smiled as she shook his hand, but saw something faintly hostile beneath the friendliness in his eyes. It was a hurt-my-friends-I'll-hurt-you kind of look, but she accepted it and smiled even more warmly, melting the chill in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you Ulrich!" she replied, turning to the boy next to him.

"Odd… Odd Della Robbia!" stated character smiled as he shook her hand, lopsided grin plastered onto his face as he energetically welcomed her.

"Is that your real name?" she quizzed, curious. Laughing, he turned his head, looking for someone to answer for him.

"Let's see…Ah, I know. HEY, JIM! THE KITTENS ARE OUT OF THE PRINCIPLE'S OFFICE, CAN YOU COLLECT THEM FOR ME?!" he hollered across the courtyard to Jim, cupping his hands to his mouth. Aelita smirked, covering it with a hand, though. Mr. Delmas's new kittens were infamous for being impossible to catch after they had gotten out. Even at this distance, she saw Jim physically start as he registered their request.

"DELLAROBBIA! IF I EVER CATCH WHO DID THIS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A WHOLE LOT OF TROUBLE!" Jim hollered back, beginning his futile search. Odd grinned, shouting back.

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT THANKS JIM."

"NO PROBLEM DELLAROBBIA. I'LL SEE YOU IN DETENTION."

"PROBABLY!"

Turning back to Emily, he raised an eyebrow. "Did that answer your question?"

"Absolutely," Emily said, leaning in suspiciously. "I'm not sure how I feel about your being friends with a bear man, though…"

"He's sweet, once you get to know him."

"Like a teddy bear?" Yumi smirked, joining the conversation again. She stepped forward, shaking Emily's hand. "Yumi Ishiyama!" she beamed. "Sorry for knocking you over before."

"Nice to meet you, Yumi! Don't take this the wrong way but…Japanese?" Emily questioned, finger on her chin, Yumi instantly grinned, but behind her she heard Ulrich make a sound of annoyance, something along the lines of "tch!" Yumi shot him a dirty glance mingled with amusement before turning back to Emily.

"I'm surprised! Most people assume I'm Chinese!" Yumi smiled, taking an instant liking to this girl. Emily just smiled back at her.

"Well it was nice meeting you guys! I better get settled in then have a look around!" Emily smiled, looking around at the gang.

"No problem! If you need us or any help just come find us! My dorm number is 213 on the second floor!" Aelita smiled. Emily nodded her thanks.

"Alright! See you soon!" she beamed as she waved, walking away. The gang smiled as they turned to the canteen, Odd pantomiming someone dying of hunger as they did so.

"So…hungry…" he groaned, falling to his knees.

"Oh! Wow! Look here! It's Odd's portion of food! He's not fit to eat it… I must devour it for him…poor soul!" Ulrich said, falling to one knee as though in a play and holding an invisible plate. "What a waste!"

"How could you!?" Odd said, faking tears.

"It's for your own good, my most esteemed good-buddy."

"Why, thank you your most esteemededness."

"You're very welcome, your most high esteemednessiness. Would you care for some wine, good sir?" Ulrich said seriously, gesturing to an invisible bottle of wine. "It's best in country."

"Oh, naturally, my fine fellow. I'll just have-" Odd continued, his lordly accent in full swing as he strutted arm-in-arm with Ulrich toward the canteen.

"Enough," Aelita said, cutting him off. Odd and Ulrich fell about laughing, entering the canteen just as Jeremie was exiting.

Aelita sighed. _That girl was pretty_…she thought, looking at Odd. _What if Odd has- wait! Was that jealousy? No…It couldn't have been…"_

"Jeremie?" Yumi called, bringing Aelita back to reality as their genius friend smiled at them. "Care to stay while we eat?"

"Why not? I've been working on modifying some quantum entanglement program traps placed around Lyoko to trip XANA up so as to help towards fully destroying him. My theory is that if we can isolate him, we can destroy him."

"Yeah, yeah…" Odd yawned, pushing past him. "Tell us all about it once we're sitting down. I can't fall asleep standing up…Though your nerd talk makes me want to…"

Jeremie rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll save you seats."

"ROSA! Good evening! I hope you're keeping well!" Odd said, brightening as he came face-to-face with his favorite lunch lady of all time. Although used to his attempts at using flattery for food, Rosa loved how happy and energetic Odd was all the time, and, unwilling to admit it, she had grown fond of her favorite student.

"Yeah, yeah!" she laughed, "Here, have a double helping! Merry Christmas Odd!" she said as she piled more food on Odd's plate then the poor tray was made for.

"Thanks Rosa! You're the best!" Odd beamed as he carried his tray to the hot drinks machine.

"Odd's hungry as always, huh?" Rosa asked Yumi as she slid her tray up, Yumi smiled, and Ulrich stifled a rather unmanly giggle.

"Always," she said with a perfectly straight face.

"Always," Ulrich said, backing her up.

"Well, I would say a growing boy needs extra food but I don't think he's growing anytime soon!" Rosa laughed, her laughter spreading to Ulrich, Yumi and Aelita as she did.

"I heard thatttt!" Odd said, his sing-song tones drifting over from the hot drinks machine. Laughing, they all gathered their food and sat down beside Jeremie.

"Hey guys! How were finals?" Jeremie beamed, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. Odd had clearly started to rub off on him, even replacing the drink of life for a genius like Jeremie, coffee, with hot chocolate.

"Fine! How was your day off?" Ulrich teased, literally poking his best friend with a spoon. Jeremie rolled his eyes, brushing the spoon away.

"Not bad," Jeremie said folding his arms with a smile. "If you want, I can tell you all about the quantum entanglement program I've been working on with Aelita recently."

"That's awesome Einstein…" Ulrich began, looking at Odd.

"…But no thanks, Einstein," Odd finished, shrugging.

"Maybe another day?" Yumi said helpfully.

"Don't worry," Aelita said, putting a protective arm around Jeremie. "They're just jealous.

The gang laughed again, which was quickly quietened by the beeping of Jeremie's computer. Pulling it out, he flipped it open, his face hardening as he looked at it.

"Xana…" Jeremie whispered, the others nodding seriously.

"But I only got done with one helping!" Odd pouted. Jeremie rolled his eyes as he stood up.

"You can have mine later," Jeremie promised, rubbing the bridge of his nose nervously.

"Aargh! I can do this!" Odd said, standing up. Flabbergasted, the gang watched as Odd stuck his fork straight into the middle of his spaghetti and meatballs and spun the fork viciously, creating a massive swirl of Italian.

"He's not… Tell me he's not…" Ulrich said in disbelief as he watched Odd stick over half of a whole of dinner in his mouth, chew furiously, and swallow. Grinning, he threw his head back and washed it down with hot chocolate. Smacking his lips, he stuck out a hand to Ulrich expectantly.

"Trophy, please."

"You…are disgustingly amazing…" Ulrich said, Odd shrugged, repeating the process, finishing the remainder of his meal within ten seconds.

"It's what I do!" Odd said when he was able to talk again. Finally, the gang walked out of the canteen and began running as soon as they were outside.

"Guys, be careful, the ice is very slipp-" Ulrich said as he slipped and began sliding across the ground – unfortunately towards the nearest tree. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact, but slowly opened his eyes as he felt himself stop.

"The ice can be dangerous if you're not careful..." a voice said calmly, stabilizing him.

"Ah, right. Thank you," Ulrich said, looking at his savior. Standing side by side were two students, the boy who had saved him and a girl, who Ulrich could honestly said were by far the most beautiful people he had ever seen. There was nothing dramatic about either of them, but they each wore subtly beautiful clothing, very plain, wintry colors, which matched their hair perfectly. Though they were about the same height as Yumi, the boy maybe being a little taller, they were very different from the Lyoko warriors. They seemed to emit an air of elegance, and their bearing, while non-confrontational, deliberately warned anyone foolish enough to oppose them not to.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…" Ulrich replied, his eyes trying to etch their features into his memory. Both the boy and girl had snow white hair, though his was streaked with black while hers had teal intertwined into it. Their clothes were nothing overly fancy, the boy wearing dark trousers and a light sweater over a partially unbuttoned shirt, the girl wore a hooded sweatshirt that stopped at her elbows, and a long sleeve that came out under it and continued to her palms, and the same kind of dark trousers as the boy. The only visible sign of status was the ring the boy wore on his finger, a dark metal decorated with celtic designs etched in silver, with a sapphire acting as the center piece. A design seemed to be etched on the surface of the sapphire, most probably the house crest of the boy, but it was too far away for Ulrich to see.

The boy said nothing, simply nodding in satisfaction. Embarrassed, Ulrich stepped forward, offering his hand.

"Ulrich Stern, you both must be new?" Ulrich asked, something about them making him want to know more about them, and to refrain from using phrase like "you guys".

The boy considered him for a second, and Ulrich thought he saw something like approval flicker in the boy's eyes before he stepped forward to grasp his hand in a firm, steady grip. "Mikhail," he said, smiling as his voice washed over Ulrich, dulling his senses with its excellence. Fazed, he turned his head to the girl, her violet eyes catching his immediately. The boy may have a gem on his finger, but Ulrich had a hunch that the real jewels were this girl's eyes.

"Anastasia," she said, inclining her head slightly in Ulrich direction. Just like the boy, her voice was soft and soothing, perhaps the most melodic voice he had ever heard.

"Um…" Ulrich said, wanting to say something, but Mikhail spoke up, cutting him.

"I apologize, but we have somewhere to be, and I suspect you do as well," he said, gesturing behind Ulrich to where his friends were standing. "We'll talk again soon. Until then…"

The boy and girl walked away, their step as lithe and quiet as their bearing, and just as elegant. Turning back to his friends, Ulrich shook his head, trying to dispel their voices from his mind. Jeremie was tapping his chin thoughtfully as he studying their retreating backs.

"I wonder…Are they brother and sister, or a couple?" he pondered aloud.

"Who knows… but they're both the most beautiful people I've ever seen…" Aelita said staring off after them. _That's an understatement…_ Ulrich though, though he didn't say it aloud. Something in Yumi's eyes told him it would be a bad idea.

"Anyway, let's get to the factory!" he said hastily. The gang nodded and took off in the direction of the woods, not realizing they were being watched.

"How interesting…" Mikhail said from the shadows of the main building where he leaned against a pillar, unaware of the students, both male and female, transfixed by both his and Anastasia's beauty.

"Mm," Anastasia said thoughtfully, unwrapping a lollipop. Turning, they both headed across the courtyard.

"Are you bored?" Mikhail asked, his blue-grey eyes piercing through the winter palor as he brushed a snowflake off of Anastasia's perfect skin. She nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"Aren't you?" she said softly.

Together, they headed through the snow towards the offices of Kadic Academy.

* * *

**SO - **I hope you enjoyed! Leave a review and we'll hopefully have chapter two done soon! Bye!

**NS - **Like Shadow said, I hope you all really enjoyed it! We've seriously added a lot of new characters to the story, I think four OCs or so by this point, but I hope that makes it even more enjoyable to read! Please, please review! I love you all - Bye!

**Note - What the abbreviations at the end and beginning stand for, and just some quotes we thought were funny from when we were writing the chapter! **

**SO - **ShadowOdd ("My O key is so loose every time I press it it just explodes off the key board!")

**NS - **Noble Scotsman ("Classic.")


	2. Chapter 2

**NS - **Hey guys! We had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it just as much! Enjoy~

**SO - **Hey guys! I hope you enjoy the second chapter of "Secret of Hope" by Noble and I! This chapter introduces the 4th (and last! We think...) OC! I hope you enjoy!" and for my ending! "I hope you had fun reading! Leave some reviews, it helps us focus on certain things you think perhaps need a little work on! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

A loud rattling noise descended on the French town as the train pulled into the station, disrupting the perch of pigeons which had been seeking warmth from the cool winter day underneath the station's eaves. With a clanging sound, the doors slid open along the long metal beast, and the passengers who had been huddling inside stepped out tentatively into the cold, wrapping scarves around them as they went about their business, hurriedly making their way towards the families which waiting in cars whose heaters were turned on full-blast to counteract the winter chill.

A boy stepped onto the platform, his eyes sweeping the platform unexpectedly; there was no one to meet him here anyways. Sighing, his breath misting in the cold air, he stepped towards the station gates, heading towards the center of town and, eventually, his final destination. His eyes, a deep, soothing brown that put whoever caught his eye at ease, looked up the hill in front of him as he exited the station, a slight smile coming to his lips as he saw a trickle of students heading in the same direction as he would. Glancing down, he read the paperwork he had been given for the trip over briefly again, his eyes alighting on his name, smiling slightly as he read it.

Deane Hillard.

"Let's get started, then…" he said casually, hefting his heavy bags with ease and shouldering them as he stepped into the town, the fresh snow crunching beneath his feet. "Kadic Academy, here I come…"

* * *

Aelita was sweating.

Even after all of the training Jim had put them through, she had forgotten how hard it was to run in the snow. Looking behind her, she saw that the others were doing just as badly, especially Jeremie. She smiled reassuringly at him, waving encouragingly from where she had stopped next to the hidden entrance to the sewers.

"Come on Jeremie! You can do it!"

"I'm…trying…" the genius said, breathing heavily.

"How about you, Odd?" Yumi asked, holding her sides. "How are you holding up?"

"Yumi…can you sew…?" he asked weakly, lying belly-up in the snow as though dead as they waited for Einstein to reach them.

"My mother taught me when I was young," Yumi replied, bending down worriedly. "Why? What's wrong?"

"It's just…" Odd began, raising a feeble hand, which Yumi clutched, somewhat amused with her friend's antics, "…I have this giant stitch, you see, and I was wondering whether you had anything to do with it…"

The group laughed amicably, still beaming by the time Jeremie reached them, a determined look plastered to his face. Nodding, they descended into the manhole's depths, and were soon in the Scanner Room, with Jeremie sitting in the Lab, his fingers a blur.

"So, Einstein," Ulrich said, pacing impatiently as his friends stood patiently in the scanners, "Any idea what this XANA attack is about?"

Jeremie pushed up his glasses, pulling up a news channel. "I have no clue, but let's shut it down before it gets out of hand. Virtualization!"

As soon as the three other Lyoko warriors dropped to the floor of the Ice Sector, Ulrich stepped into the scanner and within seconds was standing alongside them. Odd yawned, pretending to warm up while they waited for Jeremie to locate the activated tower.

"Ahhh…I feel like Caesar today…" he said absentmindedly, stretching.

"Caeser?" Aelita said, looking slyly at him. "'Veni vidi vici' and all that?"

"Jeremie…I don't want to remind you to program us all in the same language again…" Odd said, stretching out on the ground as though it were a bed.

Aelita rolled her eyes. "It means 'I came, I saw, I conquered,' Odd."

"Sorry to interrupt your fascinating Latin lesson…" Jeremie said, pushing his glasses up. "…But I seem to have found our activated tower. Due Northeast 40 degrees from your position."

"Veni!" Odd shouted, springing to his feet and running towards Jeremie's directions. Shaking their heads in amusement, the others followed him, and after a few minutes of continuous travel, they saw the activated tower in the distance, surrounded by a couple of XANA's nastiest monsters.

"There it is…" Ulrich muttered, dropping to one knee. "Any idea what they're doing yet, Einstein?"

"Not yet, Ulrich. I'll tell you if I find out."

Odd grinned lopsidedly, stepping forward a few steps towards the monsters. Striking another pose, he pointed at the tower, his voice reverberating across the ice as he charged. "Vidi!"

"Odd!" Aelita and Yumi cried, running after him. Ulrich simply smirked and sprinted after his good friend, using his increased speed to easily overtake his best friends as he drew his sabers. Behind him, he heard the others call out, "Odd, wait!"

"For Caesar!" Odd bellowed, diving at the nearest monster as Ulrich devirtualized the first. "You will never have his dressing!"

"I thought you hated salad!" Ulrich commented, blocking the barrage of lasers aimed at him calmly, taking time to look back at Odd, who was celebrating his third bulls-eye. He stopped at once and pointed at Ulrich, a serious expression crossing his face.

"I will never forgive those who desecrate the name of anything edible!" he stated.

"Whatever, just fight!"

* * *

Deane stumbled on the icy ground and just managed to catch himself. He was nearly at the crest of the hill – now would not be a good time to fall down, even if the snow would prevent him from sliding too far. Brushing the snow off, he stepped forward through the snow again, always pushing forward. Before he had gone a few steps, he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck, and spun around, ready for anything.

Nothing but snow lay behind him.

Sighing, he ran his hand through his dark brown hair, sweeping it into its familiar arrangement of sweeping from right-to-left across his face, obscuring nearly half of his left eye while leaving his right eye completely uncovered.

"Man…I'm way too jumpy today…" he said, stepping forward again and instantly jumping back again in surprise. In front of him stood two people,

"Excuse me, I didn't see you there." Deane said as he stepped back to take in the two people who had seemed to materialize behind him, a male and female.

"Don't worry about it, I should have been more aware of my surroundings," The boy said, his head tilting to the side slightly, considering him. Deane just raised his eyebrow, and he smiled apologetically, his eyes flashing. "Ah, excuse me. You reminded me of someone I know," he said amicably.

"It's fine!" Deane said, smiling. "By any chance are you two students at Kadic Academy?" he asked, eyeing the books they carried under their arms. The girl nodded slightly, but it was the boy who answered.

"Yes…We were just heading back now," he said. "Although, you sound like a new student; did you transfer in?" Deane didn't answer, he had suddenly become aware of how elegant and refined these two people were. It wasn't in the way they looked, though they were both immaculately dressed, but in the way they held themselves. They stood casually to one side of him, submissively letting him take the right of way, yet something about the way they stood, looking at him with that look in their eyes, as if they had never seen something to truly excite them before, told him that they were much higher on the social ladder than he would ever be able to climb.

"Sorry…yes." Deane replied, shaking his head as he returned to reality. The two students smiled understandingly, as though this was a regular occurrence when talking to them. "My name is Deane Hillard," he said, extending his hand. The girl blinked, studying him, then turned to rest her head against her companion. The boy laughed softly, reaching around her to shake Deane's hand, his grim firm but soft at the same time. Deane's street senses kicked in as he shook the boy's hand, all his senses screaming at him to end the connection. There was a friendly glint in the boy's eyes, but underneath, Deane saw the hardness of someone who would not hesitate to destroy him if he needed to.

"Mikhail," the boy responded, the name rolling off of his lips melodic tones, as though a spell to bewitch those who hear it.

"Anastasia," the girl said, inclining her head towards Deane. Although they were both very proper and polite, Deane had the distinct impression that this introduction had become something of the norm for these two, and become something of a bore.

"I don't mean to be a bother, but I just got off the train; would you mind if I walked with you back to the school? I'd rather not get lost!" Deane said, chuckling.

"Why not..." Anastasia said quietly, slipping her hand into Mikhail's, who nodded. Together, they walked up the rest of the hill, Deane finding it increasingly hard to keep his balance on the slippery ground with his three heavy bags. Suddenly, he felt his feet slip on the icy ground, and he began sliding backwards, too surprised to panic. Suddenly, though, he stopped, and he felt a steady on his shoulder, holding him in place.

"The ice can be difficult if you're not careful," Mikhail said, his voice unbalancing him as much as the ice. Deane realized that he could feel goosebumps forming on his arms, and he rubbed them nervously. It would take some getting used-to in order to hold a proper conversation with these two.

"Thanks," he said, smiling. Best to stick to basics for now. Mikhail studied him for a moment, his face expressionless, then, sighing, bent down and picked up two of Deane's bags, hefting them effortlessly into the air.

"You don't have to-" Deane began, but Anastasia moved over to walk next to him, her expression not inviting him to say more. Smiling, Mikhail turned, walking steadily over the wintry ground towards Kadic.

"Don't," Anastasia said, pulling something from her pocket…A chocolate of some kind?

"Well, if you're sure…" Deane said, sighing as he followed Mikhail. He felt so useless, so minor, Glancing over at Anastasia, he realized that he had been so preoccupied thinking about him as the first new friend he had made here that he had forgotten her.

Looking out of the corner of his eye, he studied her. Her skin was unblemished and apparently without makeup, though he noticed her lips were slightly bluer than should be proper for someone, possibly due to her lipstick, though. She was of average height, not standing out in that aspect, but it seemed the perfect height for her; every body part seemed to have the perfect ratio to her height. Both she and Mikhail's hair was snow white, though hers was intertwined with teal, while he had noticed Mikhail's intertwined with black. Her clothes, like Mikhail's, were nothing fancy, a simple hooded sweatshirt and a long sleeve that came out past where it stopped, and dark trousers. She was cute, in an elegant, quiet sort of way, but the aura around her seemed…Elite. Besides, she wasn't the type of girl he was into anyway.

"So," Mikhail asked as they walked, glancing back over his shoulder at Deane, raising one eyebrow knowingly. Suddenly, Deane became aware that Anastasia was glowering at him, apparently having felt the intensity of his scrutiny. "I suppose they hurt?" he asked, prompting Deane to raise one eyebrow in response.

"Did what hurt?" Deane responded, a slight defensive tone creeping into his words. Mikhail closed his eyes in a silent laugh, his fingers tapping his lower lip as an answer. Deane slapped himself mentally; people had always asked him that question. He really would have to get used to talking to these people.

"Oh! You mean these?" he said, more of a statement than a question. He pointed to where both of the black rings that sat on his lower lip, and Mikhail nodded. "Not really, I mean they hurt at first but I got them done almost two years ago, so they don't hurt at all now," he explained, cautiously testing their stand on the matter of piercings. He knew good and well how narrow-minded some people could be, but Mikhail simply nodded turning to face forward again as they neared to what Deane assumed to be the gates of Kadic.

"Do your parents approve?" Anastasia asked, eyeing him impassively. Blushing, Deane instantly looked at the ground, not before he had caught a glimpse of the reproachful expression Mikhail flashed Anastasia, who waved a hand twice dismissively.

"I wouldn't know," he responded, composing himself. Anastasia tilted her head, her gaze seeming to pierce the barricades of his mind, but then shrugged, returning to her previous self. She didn't push the matter, but Deane still felt compelled to elaborate.

"Really, it's fine, I never knew them that well. They left when I was only four, and I was bounced from foster family to foster family for nearly 10 years…until recently, I've been staying with my Parole officer." he said casually, making Mikhail and Anastasia stop in their tracks,

"Parole Officer?" Mikhail inquired, his interest now suddenly peaked, Anastasia played with the wrapper of her chocolate to show her boredom,

"Yeah, do you mind if we not talk about it?" Deane replied, hanging his head in shame, Mikhail tilted his head as he considered why he would have a parole officer.

"Very well.." Mikhail nodded as Anastasia slipped her hand back into his.

They passed through the gates and Deane stopped, standing still to take it all in. There was snow on the ground and falling slowly from the greying clouds, and the leaves and needles of the trees of the forest were the deepest green. There were several buildings, their stonework reassuring him, and he felt that this was, finally, a place that he could relate to. He followed Mikhail and Anastasia passively through the grounds, soaking in the scenery, and before he knew it, they were in front of the Administrative building. He had been so immersed in thinking that he hadn't noticed their arrival; maybe he would be able to do more here, it seemed like a good place for it.

Another benefit.

Suddenly, though, he felt his left hand become empty as his bag was knocked out of his hand, and he crashed heavily to the ground, having been momentarily suspended. Looking behind him, he saw a man in a dark suit sprinting towards the forest, not the path from which they had just come, but deep into the middle. Sighing with exasperation, he turned back to his bag and began collecting all of the books that had fallen out.

"Was that a teacher?" he asked, trying not to blush as his frozen fingers fumbled with the books in a very inelegant fashion. Stooping, Mikhail reached out to help him finish but was stopped,

"It's fine, I've got it." Deane said, Mikhail held his hand in place as his brain tried finding an explanation for this boy, something about him seemed as if he was a lot more capable than people could even expect from him.

"No," Anastasia said, pointing. "Look."

Deane's eyes widened as he saw the form change, turning into an overweight man in a red and black tracksuit. Looking at Mikhail, he saw the boy smiling.

"How interesting…"

"Did you guys see that..?" Deane said, trailing off as he realized he had no idea what he had just seen. Looking at Anastasia, he realized she was giving him a baleful look, and he blushed.

He screamed internally at her, he felt so useless when with these two people. He wasn't useless. "What about her made so important?" he screamed inside, Mikhail caught a look at Deane's eyes and saw a flicker of burning anger, causing his facial features to harden. Anastasia noticed the flicker as well but both her and Mikhail were intrigued how as soon as he blinked, the flicker of anger was gone and he was smiling.

Mikhail had his arms folded, one hand resting on his chin in a stereotypical thinking fashion. Deciding upon something, he looked at Anastasia, nodded in understanding, and turned to Deane, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Deane, but we'll have to part ways here," he said, his voice persuasive.

"You're going after that guy?!" Deane asked, astounded.

"Don't sound so surprised," Mikhail said, Deane repacked his bag swiftly as Anastasia finished whatever she was eating, "We're actually quite capable, you know."

Something in his tone made Deane absolutely clear on how capable these "students" could be. Thinking quickly as his two friends started walking towards the forest, he called out to them, hefting his bags and sprinting towards the Administrative Offices.

"Hold on, I'm gonna leave these here," Deane said hurriedly, disappearing into the building.

"Did you see that?" Anastasia asked, Mikhail nodded, they watched as Deane ran, the sleeve of his jack revealed little of his arm but enough to show his arm was full bandaged.

When he emerged, he was grinning broadly. "Didn't think you could leave me behind, did you?"

"Let's go, then," Mikhail said, turning, his long strides carrying him quickly through the forest shadows, Anastasia easily keeping pace with him. They were more purposed now; their air of apathy having left them, and something gleamed in their eyes that, to Deane, was the beginning of something grand. Together, the three disappeared into the falling snow, tracking the mysterious figure.

* * *

"What, have you started talking to the monsters instead of just naming them now?" Yumi asked Odd as she ran up, instantly thowing a fan at a hornet and devirtualizing it.

"Noo! Julius!" Odd said, falling to his knees in fake sobs.

"He was a great hornet, Odd. Remember him well," Yumi said, dropping to one knee beside Odd and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Last one, princess," Ulrich said, leveling his swords at the final blok. "Do you want him, Aelita?"

Aelita bowed and giggled, "Why thank you Ulrich!" she replied, instantly throwing her energy fields at the last hornet and watching it exploded into millions of tiny particles, Odd slumped to his knees,

"NOO! LUKE!" Odd cried as he suddenly ran over to the last place the hornet was hovering over the ground, he put his ear to the ground, "DON'T YOU QUIT ON ME!" he cried, putting his left hand on the ground and his right on top and pumping three times, "BREATHE!" he yelled, Ulrich fell to his knees beside his best friend and wrapped his arms around him,

"He's gone buddy… he's in a better place!" Ulrich said, sobbing dramatically. Odd threw his arms around Ulrich and sobbed into his shoulder.

"He was so young! He had so much to live for!" Odd cried, "He was going to take Suzy the Bloc to prom!"

"Well, unlike Odd, at least that hornet had a date to prom," Yumi grinned. The whole group laughed, even Jeremie, except Odd, who pretended to sulk.

"Aelita…" Odd began, his voice desolate.

"Yes, Odd?"

"Deactivate the tower, would you?" Odd said, pretending to cry. "It-it's too much for me to take anymore – stop this endless war!"

"Odd!" Ulrich yelled, shaking him desperately. Standing up and pointing at the fake sobbing boy on the ground, he turned to Aelita. "You heard what he said! Quickly, before his sacrifice is for nothing!" Ulrich said, falling to his knees. Aelita laughed as she ran past the two overly dramatic boys, already on her way.

"I don't want to be sacrificed!" Odd cried.

"Oh, hush your paws!" she called, winking as she ran straight into the tower. As she stood on the middle platform, she felt herself being raised into the air, coming to a rest on the higher platform. Just as she put her hand out to touch the panel, Jeremie's voice interrupted her.

"Aelita! Wait!" he called,

"What's wrong Jeremie?" she asked worriedly, she heard him typing loudly, and she crossed her arms.

"I found out what Xana's attack was - it's a polymorphic specter, it's inside the Factory now," he said, outside the tower the other three shared a confused look,

"Then why not deactivate the tower and be rid of the specter?" Ulrich asked, spinning his sabers in his hands out of boredom.

"Think about it, Ulrich. The specter hasn't attacked any of us, and it hasn't tried to make any moves against us yet, either. He's obviously doing something, and if we don't discover what it is, then XANA will have the upper hand."

"Why not just launch a return to the past, then?" Odd asked lazily, recovered from his hysterics and completely sane now.

"Think about it, Odd. XANA becomes stronger each time we use that. I'd rather not; not unless it's an emergency."

"So what can we do?" Yumi asked, crossing her arms. Jeremie thought for a moment before replying.

"Alright, I'll devirtualise Ulrich and Odd to go see what it is XANA's up to. If anything goes too far out of hand, Aelita, immediately deactivate the tower. Alright?"

"Alright," the Lyoko warriors said.

"Ok then. Devirtualization!" Jeremie said, pressing the final key.

* * *

"Do you think he went in here?" Deane asked, looking at the decrepit factory. Mikhail nodded, and wordlessly started forward, Anastasia at his side. Together, the three entered the factory, and Deane started towards the ropes hanging from the ceiling, ready to spring down.

"Hey, guys, this way," he said, grabbing one.

"Stop," Anastasia said, motioning for them to lie low. Mikhail's eye widened, and he grabbed Deane, lying down low as a hissing sound came from the elevator shaft. Two boys stepped out, one tall and dark-haired, muscular but not overly-so, and the other short, blonde, and lean. Looking around suspiciously, they started towards the stairs at the end of the room. When they were gone, Deane let out a long sigh, sitting up.

"What were they doing here…?" Mikhail said, looking after the two boys.

"Do you know them?" Deane asked, looking at his friend suspiciously.

"We only met them today," Mikhail said, shaking his head. "We were actually following them until we ran into you."

"Why were you following them?"

"There's a light down there…" Mikhail said thoughtfully, swinging down just like Deane was about to do a few seconds ago. Anastasia followed, and Deane last, muttering darkly about conversation-changers.

The two were standing in an elevator, staring at a keypad. "Do you think you can crack it?" Deane asked Mikhail, who seemed to be examining it. Without another word, the elegant boy's fingers started flashing across the keypad, attempting combination after combination until, finally, the elevator clicked and began to work.

"Ah, there we go. Press the one that says "Supercomputer" please, Anastasia," he said, leaning against the wall.

As she leaned over to press it, she seen it blocked by a hand, and her gaze flicked, annoyed, to its owner.

"Listen, you two seem very important or just very well presented, but I can't follow you any further." Deane said, covering the buttons,

"Is there a problem..?" Mikhail asked quietly.

"I honestly can't afford to go missing agai-" he started before cutting himself off, "I'm sorry but I have to go." He said leaving the elevator, he turned to look at the two people.

"Pity…" Anastasia said simply, meeting Deane with a steady gaze as he raised an eyebrow.

"What is?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow, mirroring him and surprised at his tone.

"Pity," Anastasia said again, her tone slightly confrontational. Deane felt his anger boil, but he gently closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"You're right," Deane said, smiling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mikhail sigh, and Anastasia looked away, uninterested in him. With a start, he realized that they had wanted him to rise to the challenge, defend himself, make a scene.

Do something out of the ordinary.

Deane turned to Mikhail, who took a step out of the elevator, looking behind him wistfully as he stepped into the twilight of the Factory, out of the light spilling from the elevator. Anastasia silently joined him, and they turned to him expectantly.

"It's late, we should be getting back," Mikhail said, his voice devoid of accusations. Nodding, Deane jogged over to them, pulling himself up the rope they had swung down with practiced ease. Looking behind him, he reached out a hand to help Anastasia the final distance, but she disregarded it, swinging effortlessly up with a final tug on the rope. Mikhail soon joined them, and they walked out of the factory, returning into the snowstorm, which had picked up intensity while they had been inside. Deane couldn't help but notice the curious glance Mikhail gave the factory as they left, as though it was full of secrets he would rather explore. He felt terrible for making them leave, but he couldn't risk anything anymore, not now that he had a parole officer…

Turning, he waved to his new friends. "Hey! Let's hurry and get back before we're snowed out!" With that, he turned and ran back the way they had come, over the bridge and up the hill that they had climbed earlier that day. Mikhail stopped, watching him, and with a dismissive sigh, followed him, his and Anastasia's pace a steady, continuous stride.

"…The fool, he's going to slip and fall on the ice like earlier…" he said softly, his breath tickling the back of Anastasia's neck as he whispered their private joke. She smiled and bumped against him, her fingers intertwining with his. "He's just like-"

"-Him?" Anastasia asked, leaning into the hollow at the base of Mikhail's neck, feeling the elegant boy's silent nod of confirmation.

"Yes…_him_."

* * *

"Ulrich? How's it going?" Jeremie asked, following his friends on his map of the Factory.

"Pretty good, Jeremie. We've found the specter, at least…" Ulrich whispered into his mouthpiece.

"What's it doing?"

"Just…Standing there…" Ulrich said, looking intently. Beside him, Odd nodded, confirming it for his friend.

"That's so strange…" Jeremie said, frowning. "I was sure…wait! Ulrich! Odd! Get out of there!"

"What? Jeremie?" Ulrich said speaking urgently into his mouthpiece. "Jeremie?!"

"It's a tra-"

"Uh, Ulrich…" Odd said, tapping his friend's shoulder.

"Kind of busy here, Odd."

"There's another specter here," Odd said, pointing to where a copy of Jim stood, glowering at them. The two friends jumped up, running desperately as the first specter started to move as well, cutting them off.

"Jeremie? What's going on?" Yumi's voice came in over the speaker.

"They walked into a trap!" Jeremie said, typing furiously. "Aelita, deactivate that tower now."

"On it, Jeremie."

"Jeremie…We could really use you right now…" Ulrich said, blocking the lightning shot by the first specter while Odd grappled with the second. With a start of horror, Ulrich realized that his best friend was being strangled. Spinning around, he remembered the specter he was fighting, and caught the full force of his enemy's punch straight in the head.

"Jere...mie!" Odd called desperately, barely getting the words out of his burning lungs.

"Aelita!" Jeremie said, sweat forming on his forehead.

"Tower deactivated," Aelita said, exiting the tower.

"Return…p-ast…" Odd managed, his final breath escaping him as he fell unconscious, the specter's grip loosening as he did so, no doubt the work of Aelita. The last thing he saw was Ulrich's still form, then everything was covered with a white light.

"Return to the past!"

* * *

A loud rattling noise descended on the French town as the train pulled into the station, disrupting the perch of pigeons which had been seeking warmth from the cool winter day underneath the station's eaves. With a clanging sound, the doors slid open along the long metal beast, and the passengers who had been huddling inside stepped out tentatively into the cold, wrapping scarves around them as they went about their business, hurriedly making their way towards the families which waiting in cars whose heaters were turned on full-blast to counteract the winter chill.

A boy stepped onto the platform, his eyes sweeping the platform unexpectedly; there was no one to meet him here anyways. Still…He had the feeling that he would meet two very distinct people on the way to school. Sighing, his breath misting in the cold air, he stepped towards the station gates, heading towards the center of town and, eventually, his final destination. He looked up the hill in front of him as he exited the station, a slight smile coming to his lips as he saw a trickle of students heading in the same direction as he would. Glancing down, he read the paperwork he had been given for the trip over briefly again, his eyes alighting on his name, smiling slightly as he read it.

Deane Hillard.

"Let's get started, then…" he said casually, hefting his heavy bags with ease and shouldering them as he stepped into the town, the fresh snow crunching beneath his feet. "Kadic Academy, here I come…"

"Wait… What just happened?"

* * *

**NS - **Hey guys, I hope it was good. Shadow and I will be releasing pretty regularly, a couple of days a month, which will be **Thursdays**. We'll try to have a new one released each week, but no promises! Please review! I love you all~byee!

**SO - **I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review and we'll hopefully have chapter 3 done soon! Bye!

**Quotes**

ShadowOdd - "THERE GOES THE KEY!" (about his feisty jumping "o" key)

Noble Scotsman - "IT'S BEAUTIFUL" (about all)


	3. Chapter 3

**SO - **Hey guys, we're back with a new chapter of Secret of Hope, I hope you're all enjoying this story as much as Noble and I are enjoying making it! Anyway, without further ado! Enjoy!

**NS - **Read, laugh, enjoy. Please, if you have any jokes you'd like to suggest for Odd or any of the others, anything you find funny around or found funny in this chapter, let us know! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

As the day passed, the snow began to fall heavier, softly coating the ground in its winter clothing.

It was the 17th of December and Kadic was in the midst of preparing for Christmas, causing all the students to panic and try to cram in some last-minute shopping.

Downtown was in the height of its beauty; the snow covering the cobbled streets gave it a surreal look, and the Christmas lights and wreaths dotted here and there seemed to transform the darkened buildings into a Christmas forest. Yumi, though, having become increasingly panicked, was staring through a window at the items on display, as though determined to see some sign that it would be the perfect present. Sighing, she walked over to a bench where Odd lounged, head back and arms spread over the side.

"Ahhh…" she said, crossing her arms and sitting next to her friend, a disgruntled look on her face, "What does Ulrich even like?"

"Let's see…" Odd said, beginning to count things off on one hand, his head still drooped over the back of the bench, "He likes Lyoko, training, Japan, pencak silat…_you_…" The last one was muttered under his breath slyly, but still loud enough for Yumi to hear it.

"What did you say?" Yumi asked, slightly flustered as she turned to her friend.

"Hmm? Oh, yo-yos," Odd said, gesturing aimlessly, still gazing up at the sky. A snowflake landed on the base of the front of his neck, which was exposed to the winter weather, and Odd bolted upright in surprise as the icy water spread down his chest. Yumi laughed, and Odd scowled at her before realizing how funny his reaction had been as well and joining her. Odd and Yumi, unnerved by the sudden increase in Christmas activity, had gone downtown to shop, determined to finish their shopping before Christmas Eve. Odd was dressed in his normal colours and clothes - a purple hoodie, dark blue jeans with purple high tops, and his blonde hair tucked safely under a white woolly hat with a purple pattern swirling all around it. Yumi was dressed similarly, but instead of purple she wore black and refused to don a hat, despite the cold.

"Anyways, what's with all these new students that are suddenly transferring in..?" Yumi said, leaning on the bench.

Odd sighed, shrugging as his eyes wandered the square, alighting on a German pretzel stand. "We've only met three, Yumi…" Odd reminded her, his mouth beginning to salivate.

"I know…" she said, gazing at the Christmas tree which stood in the middle of the square, "But I heard there was another."

Odd nodded, beginning to lean out of his seat as the pretzels' aroma wafted towards him. "Yeah…Deane Hillard, or something like that. I overhead Sissi bragging about how "dangerous" he was – apparently he has a parole officer," Odd explained, disinterested. "But, whatever."

"Have you even seen him?" Yumi asked, continuing the conversation, but Odd shook his head.

"Who? Deane Hillard?" Odd asked beginning to turn to her, but stopped as he saw a boy standing in front of them expectantly, as though he expected them to say something.

"You're not talking about me, are you?" he said, his voice mellow.

Odd and Yumi looked at the boy, their eyes dancing across his features with practiced ease. His skin was pale, seeming to glow slightly in the snowy air, and he wore a black beanie that covered most of his hair but revealed the ends which swept across his forehead. There were two black rings on his lower lip, complimenting the clothes he wore - a purple zip up hoodie, a pair of black jeans, and black vans. Lastly, the two's eyes met his, noticing how his brown eyes swept from Odd to Yumi, and they dropped their inquisitive gaze, noticing a ripped, frayed design on one of his knees.

"You're the new student?" Odd asked, and the boy nodded.

"Yup, Deane Hilliard!" he smiled, extending his hand. Without hesitation, Odd smiled in return, and shaking his hand enthusiastically.

"Odd Della-Robbia!" Odd beamed as Deane turned from Odd to Yumi.

"Yumi Ishiyama," Yumi said, unimpressed by her new younger classman.

"It's nice to meet the two of you!" Deane said, stepping back, still smiling. "Oh, by the way, the whole Parole Officer is a huge misunderstanding."

"So you don't have one?" Yumi asked, raising her eyebrow, but Deane shook his head.

"No, I do! Just not for bad… well _extremely_ bad reasons," Deane said as he glanced into the shop window that Yumi had been looking at. "I had no family to stay with…so they gave me a Parole Officer to look after me. That and another silly little reason - no biggie."

"So…" Yumi asked, deftly changing the subject, "Why are you in town?"

Deane tilted his head, thinking, snapping his fingers as he remembered. "Oh, right! I was looking for something to buy."

"Aren't we all."

"A present for someone?" Odd asked, deliberately ignoring Yumi's disgruntled answer.

"Nope! Since I just arrived, I don't have anyone to buy presents for," Deane said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, maybe a couple people, actually…"

"Really? Who?" Yumi asked, controlling her annoyance in not being able to find a present yet. Deane scratched his chin, debating whether to answer.

"Umm... Mikhail and Anastasia," he said before turning to look completely into the window.

"Oh, those guys…" Odd said, muttering darkly, Yumi nodding in agreement.

"Do you know them?" Deane asked, wondering what these two had against his first friends here.

Odd shook his head. "Not really, no. They're a little…"

"Weird?"

"You could say that," Yumi said, crossing her arms. Odd raised an eyebrow, elbowing her playfully.

"Ulrich?" he asked, laughing as he saw the look in her eyes. "Haha, I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"What does he see in _her_?" Yumi muttered darkly, not hearing him.

"Uh…Yumi?"

"Is…Yumi alright?" Deane asked, turning around, only to be perplexed by Yumi's strange behavior. Odd shrugged and stood up, eyeing the pretzel stand hungrily.

"She'll be fine…She's just jealous," he said, stretching his back. "Want to grab some hot chocolate while she cools off?"

Deane couldn't answer for a second, then he smiled; this could be a good chance to make a new friend. "Yeah, okay!" he said, walking next to Odd as he dragged Yumi to her feet.

"Cool. You guys go ahead and I'll, uh, be right behind you," Odd said, making a bee-line for the pretzel stand. Yumi and Deane stared after him for a second, then Yumi sighed, heading towards a coffee shop on the other side of the road. Stopping and looking at Deane expectantly, she jerked her head towards the shop questioningly.

"You coming?"

Deane stopped, feeling that this was a crossroads in his time at Kadic. Then, shaking off the feeling, he stepped across the road, smiling at Yumi, who returned it, wearing an amused expression. Suddenly, Odd appeared behind Yumi, a whole pretzel stuffed in his mouth and another piping hot in his hand. His face was buttery and had salt on it, but his expression was one of absolute joy.

"Oh my god…Guys, these are SO GOOD."

* * *

In the Kadic woods, two people were sitting and watching the snow falling peaceably on the world. The two were a perfect couple for one another, and even the clothes they wore seemed to complement the other. Both wore short, fabric jackets that were perfect for the winter chill, and though the boy wore long, pale trousers, the girl wore a skirt with tights, seemingly oblivious to the cold. One of the boy's arms was wrapped around the girl, and she leaned casually into his shoulder, as though it were the most natural thing in the world for them. Steam rose from the hot chocolate she cradled in her gloved hands, and she blew on it softly, raising it to her lips to drink now and then. After a long pause between sips, she turned to look the boy in the eye, becoming even closer to him as she did so.

"Mikhail…" she began, looking him in the eye, and he laughed at her serious expression, pressing his lips to her forehead as a small blush and smile crept across her face, a small but honest expression.

"Haha, yes, Anastasia?" he said, smiling encouragingly at her. She blushed a little deeper, happy as always to be with him, and continued, her tone a little less harsh than before.

"Are you enjoying this school?"

Mikhail breathed out a few times, his breath misting in the air, considering her question. "Mhm…There's something about this school that intrigues me, as though there's something hidden that _wants_ me to discover it."

Anastasia nodded, leaning into the crook of his shoulder again. "I feel the same way."

"Ulrich Stern…What do you think of him?" the boy asked, barely containing his mirth as a smile threatened to break out across his features.

"He's close to the Japanese girl," Anastasia replied absentmindedly, her tone once again bored.

"He's involved with this, isn't he?"

"Obviously. What do you want to do?"

Mikhail didn't respond for a minute, then shrugged, Anastasia's head moving with his shoulders. "Nothing, for now. There's no need, anyhow."

Anastasia nodded, then leaned up and kissed Mikhail on the cheek, spreading color across his pale features from the place where her lips touched, and sat contentedly back down.

"I trust you, Mikhail."

* * *

Ulrich, Aelita and Jeremie sat in Aelita's room, surrounded by mountains of wrapping paper. Tape and pens were strewn across the floor, and Aelita had brought Kiwi in for some reason, who was now rolling around and generally getting in the way of everything.

"I honestly can't wrap presents at all…" Ulrich said through his teeth as he attempted to remove cello tape from his hand. "Stop it, Kiwi!" Aelita giggled at the sight of Ulrich's frustration, and Jeremie smiled at the sight of the capable Lyoko warrior brought low by tape.

"So let me get this straight," Jeremie said, pushing up his glasses, "you fought Xana's toughest monsters, took down the Kolossus nearly completely without assistance, _while_ fighting the virtual evil embodiment of Xana himself, William, on its _shoulder_, yet the fearsome Lyoko warrior 'Ulrich Stern' can't wrap a Christmas present?" Jeremie teased, Ulrich scowled darkly at the wrapping paper as Jeremie and Aelita giggled.

"At least I'm not scared to go to Lyoko!" Ulrich said, flicking Jeremie across the nose and bursting out laughing with Aelita.

"Touché!" Jeremie smiled, joining in the laughing, the trio continued to talk as they wrapped presents, delving even deeper into the festive spirits as Aelita began to DJ their wrapping session, lightening the mood with some of the Christmas songs off of her laptop. The three joined in a few hilarious renditions of carols, with Ulrich getting progressively worse, much to the amusement of Aelita and Jeremie, until they were startled by a knock on the door.

"Oh!" Aelita said, flicking off the music and rushing to the door, singing a greeting. "Whooo is ittt?"

"HO HO HO," Odd's voice boomed from the other side of the door. "You young whippersnappers! Let me in, or I'll smuggle toys through your chimney!"

Smiling, Aelita opened the door, and Odd, Yumi, and a boy she had never seen before piled in the room. She saw Ulrich hiding the present he had just been wrapping out of the corner of her eye, and she grinned, turning to the newcomers. "So! Who's this?"

"This is Deane Hilliard, _another_ new student but _this_ one lives across the hall from us - just a few doors down!" Odd beamed, practically smacking his new friend on the back. Ulrich saw Jeremie and Aelita tense up, but he leaned towards Yumi, asking her in a clear, carrying whisper the question most everyone wanted to know.

"How much did he have this time to make him like this?"

Yumi opened her mouth to answer, but Odd butted in, holding up both hands and smiling for all his might. "Only 7 cups of hot chocolate and three pretzels, Ulrich good buddy!" he said proudly, and Ulrich sighed, faking disappointment.

"Really, Odd…I expected more from you," he said, laying his hands on his best friend's shoulder. "Next time, make it a solid ten cups!" he finished, immediately perking Odd up again.

"Yes! Let's do it!"

At this time, though, Jeremie butted in, exchanging glances with Yumi and Aelita. "Deane Hillard? The one who has a parole officer?"

Yumi opened her mouth to answer, but Deane stepped forward quickly to reassure Jeremie. "Don't worry - it's not for anything bad! I just don't have any family members in this country, so they had to give me one; don't worry!" Deane said smiling, Aelita let out a sigh of relief, and Yumi shrugged at Jeremie. Apparently this had already been explained to her in this manner. Following Yumi's example, Jeremie shrugged, and directed his next question at Odd.

"So, Odd, how did you guys meet?" he asked, returning to wrapping presents.

Odd spread his fingers, giggling, and gestured to Yumi, who bent down next to him, also spreading her fingers. Leaning in close to Jeremie, they whispered very loudly.

"…_Magic_!"

Jeremy scowled at the two, who had both burst out laughing, Yumi having regained her sense of humor, and the two comedians sat down on either side of Aelita. Ulrich shook Deane's hand, and sat with him in an open spot. Once they were all seated, Aelita spoke, smiling broadly at Deane, who smiled back at her.

"Well, welcome to Kadic!"

"Thank you!" Deane replied, regretting having to get up so quickly after being asked to sit down. "Well, it was nice meeting you guys, but I better go finish unpacking my bags," he said, turning to walk out. As he left, waving off the offers of hospitality, he paused, looking at a drawing pinned to Aelita's wall.

"Hey. I've seen this before," he said, tapping the picture. Aelita's breath caught, and the gang understood that it was bad; Deane was looking at something distinctly Lyoko-related Aelita had drawn, obviously. Looking closer, Odd saw that he was pointing at the picture of the gang that Odd had drawn a couple of years ago, preserved forever as a testimony to their unbreakable bonds. More importantly, he was pointing at the symbol that Odd had drawn in the top corner; _that _symbol.

Xana's symbol.

"I doubt that," Jeremie said evenly, glancing at the worried faces of his friends. "It's an original, you know."

"Not the drawing, the symbol in the corner," Deane said, shaking his head. Silence reigned seemingly forever, before Odd stood up.

"You might want to sit down," he said, gesturing to the bed. Once Deane had done so, he asked the question on all of their minds. "Where have you seen that symbol?"

"Last year," Deane said, jumping straight in, wanting to solve this mystery as much as his new friends, "my Parole Officer got me a job with one of his friends in some lab in the city I used to live in, I've been in so many since then I don't remember which anymore. One day, though, I was staying late to clean up my station, when I heard a noise coming from my boss's room just down the hall. Naturally, I went to check it out," Deane explained, the gang leaning in, absorbed in his story.

"I walked in and noticed the computer on his desk was on. When I walked over to turn it off, thinking that my boss had just made a mistake in leaving it on for the night, I saw that symbol flashing on the screen," He said gesturing to Xana's eye. "I tried finding out what it was, but as soon as I touched the key board I got a huge electric shock that hurt my arm," he said, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the bandage, small slivers of burnt skin trailing off from the main burn. The group of friends nodded in understanding, exchanging glances.

"Suddenly, my boss came in and when he looked at my arm, he told me to leave, and that was that," he said, shrugging. "What is it, anyways? It's so weird."

"It's, uh…a Greek symbol!" Odd smiled, using his best convincing tone. "It's kind of like a fraternity symbol for a bunch of different companies, I guess. Pretty common, even Jim has one," he said, shrugging and jerking his thumb towards Jim's room, near the staircase. Deane shrugged, and the tension in the room lessened considerably.

"Cool! Anyway, I've really got to go unpack, so I'll see you guys later?" Deane said, exiting as swiftly as he had come.

The gang waited until they had heard his footsteps recede down the hall, then let out a huge sigh of relief.

"That was close…good excuse, Odd!" Ulrich said, patting Odd on the back. Odd smirked at him, apparently over his sugar rush.

"It's what I do."

"Anyway…he seems nice!" Aelita smiled, changing the topic, and Odd and Yumi both nodded.

"We went for hot chocolate with him, he's honestly really nice! People like him are so misunderstood…" Yumi said, sighing in exasperation with, presumably, those who would mistake Deane's having a Parole Officer because of his criminal history and not personal problems. Odd nodded in agreement.

"Maybe," Odd began, glancing sideways at Yumi, "if we get to know him better, he could become part of the group. He was telling us that he trains for archery, after all - that could be helpful in our dealing with Xana," Odd said, holding his hands up peaceably as Yumi went to say something. "It's just an idea."

"I was actually going to agree with you," Yumi said, crossing her arms. "The problem with William is that we waited too long, until there was actually a crisis that we couldn't deal with. If we trained Deane now, while it's relatively quiet, we might be able to take Xana by surprise, even."

"I'll tell you what." Jeremie started, once the group was over the sudden change of Yumi's outlook of exclusivity for the group. "We'll get to know him better, and if he seems like he'd be helpful to us, we'll train him, ok?" Jeremie asked, the others nodding in consensus.

"Great. Now, let's wrap some presents!"

"Aelita!" Odd called, pulling out sunglasses from somewhere, their dark shades mirroring the ones Aelita had just pulled on. "Hit it!"

As the music started blaring happily throughout the room, Ulrich and Yumi shook their heads in amazement, Jeremie smiled knowingly. "Where did you even _get_ the sunglasses from?"

Odd held up a hand, and Aelita struggled to control her laughter, succeeding mostly because of the music playing. "Ask not, know not, my friend."

"That's why I'm asking!"

* * *

Deane made his way down the hallway one floor below the room he had just been invited into. As he pushed open the door to his room, he heard his stomach growling.

"Of course you're hungry!" Deane whispered, smiling. "You're always hungry." He turned, though, closing the door on the piles of boxes needing to be unpacked, and made his way down the hall, descending swiftly to the courtyard. He pushed the door open and smiled as snow fell softly onto his face, making his way towards the canteen, content with walking through the snow than running, as he normally would. As he neared the canteen, he noticed someone walking down the steps – and he also noticed the ice which coated them, turning the stairs into a slippery deathtrap. He began moving quickly to warn her, but as he neared her, she put her foot on the last step, causing herself to slip. As she began to fall backwards, she let out a scream and tensed, ready to fall into the snow but opened her eyes as she felt someone catch her.

She ran her eyes over her saviour, across his deep brown eyes, over the two black rings on his lips, the way his hair seemed to perfectly sweep across his face, and she quickly found herself blushing. Deane helped her stand up straight before letting her go, their fingers brushing against the other's as they parted.

"Thank you so much!" Emily said, attempting to cover her blush. Deane smiled, taking it as her face being red from the cold.

"You're welcome; the ice can be very slippery! You have to be careful," Deane smiled at her. Nodding, she brushed her red hair out of her eyes nervously.

"I know…I wasn't being careful at all; thanks again!" Emily smiled, Deane smiled again, moving to step past her to the canteen.

"I'll see you later I suppose!" he said, waving, and Emily nodded, turning and beginning to walk away. She got half way across the courtyard before she heard Deane calling after her.

"Hey! I never caught your name!" he called, a blush creeping up on his face, even from this distance. Emily also felt her face burning up, but cupped her hands to reply to him.

"Emily Autumns," she called, watching him as he tilted his head to commit her name to memory.

"Deane Hilliard," Deane called in response. Emily beamed at him before waving, walking off. Smiling himself, Deane walked into the canteen and closed the door, letting out a deep breath.

"Wow…"

Nearby, the door to the dorms, swung closed, Emily leaning against them, smiling.

"Wow…"

* * *

Across the courtyard, leaning against the same tree that they had for the past few hours, two people watched the scene between Deane and Emily unfold.

"Scandalous…" Anastasia said around the stick of pokey in her mouth. In a few short bites, the delicious chocolate rod had been reduced to nothing.

"I don't see how," Mikhail said fondly, pulling out another pokey from the box. "It's normal for people such as this, and don't you think they'd make a good couple? (say ah-hn)."

Anastasia looked at the pro-offered pokey, color coming into her cheeks in excitement as she bit down on the chocolate. "Ah-hn." Mikhail was intrigued, as always, by the degree of fondness with which she pursued sweets. "I suppose."

"Will you be able to attend school when it starts again?" Mikhail asked, a slight edge coming into his voice as he worried about her. Anastasia didn't deign to respond, nodding curtly, as though something that would be obvious.

"If you are."

"Your body, though-"

"-is _fine_," Anastasia finished for him, glaring, as though daring him to oppose her. Laughing, at her expression, he swept down, kissing her full on the mouth for the first time since arriving at Kadic. Pulling away, he saw color high in her cheeks as it always was when he surprised her like that, and he laughed again.

"Then I assume it was fine for me to do that, then?"

"Stupid…" Anastasia said, blushing deeper. "Someone would see us."

"What's wrong with that?" Mikhail said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not _proper_," Anastasia muttered, and Mikhail laughed softly.

"Well, princess, since we're not around aristocracy, and presumably won't be for quite a while, we can do whatever we want," he laughed again. "To think that the heir apparent to the Winterrose house would be brought to stuttering by a mere kiss…I feel cheated, princess."

"I hate you," Anastasia said, initiating the kiss this time. Pulling away, she looked him in the eye. "and I'm going to teach you a lesson tomorrow for this; you better be prepared."

Mikhail inclined his head, still elegant - bearing undisturbed by any of the proceedings. "The usual, I presume. I look forward to it."

* * *

**SO - **Well that was Chapter 4! Hope you liked it! Leave a couple of reviews and let us know what you think!

**NS - **Haha, that was fun to write. Once again, another Thursday release, despite finals, so you'd better appreciate our dedication! Most of the credit goes to ShadowOdd, though, so give him a hand! Review, and as always, I love you guys~

**Quotes**

ShadowOdd** - **"I GIVE UP! I GET UP TO GO TO THE TOILET AND MY SISTER SPILLED COFFEE ON IT! I'M SO MAD OH MY GOD *breathing heavily*" (while working on a cover image for the story)

Noble Scotsman** - **"I WANT PEOPLE TO REVIEW AND BE LIKE, 'SCINTILLATING MY DEAR FELLOWS, ABSOLUTELY SCINTILLATING'" (commenting on the post-BETA version of ch.3)


	4. Chapter 4

**SO - **Hey guys! Welcome back to Secret of Hope! Sorry for the delay but it's true, even amazing authors like Shadow and Noble need breaks! Anyway, enjoy!

**NS - **So...we were hibernating (like BEARS)...yeah, but we're back now! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The snow fell heavily, coating the grounds of Kadic with a thick, white blanket typical of the cool Christmas season. All over campus, students hurried through the winter air, bundled up in their warmest clothing, cheeks red with excitement and anticipation.

Christmas was tomorrow.

Trudging through the snowy courtyard towards the gate, Aelita tightened her scarf around her neck, glancing nervously behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed by her friends. She needed to get some last minute shopping done and was hoping to do it unnoticed, getting back before anyone noticed she was gone. Turning, she set off, her pace fast and strong as she headed towards the town. Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name and, turning, she saw Deane running towards her, waving cheerily in hello.

"Aelita?" he called, still waving. She turned instantly, a smile plastered to her face as she greeted the new addition to her blooming group of friends.

"Hey!" she beamed, letting him catch up to her. It had been three days since she had met Deane, and in those 3 days, he had warmed up to the entire gang, instantly winning their friendship and love.

"Where are you going this early in the morning?" he asked, taking an earphone out of his ear and placing the wires in his pocket.

"I'm ummm… Just going to town to pick up some stuff…" she lied, looking around nervously as though uncomfortable talking about it. Deane laughed at her, easing the tension.

"Even if it's only been three days, I know you well enough to know you're lying Aelita! You're going shopping, aren't you?" he teased, watching as her face heated up.

"I- No! I'm all set!" she shot back confidently, setting off again in a huff. He smirked at her before returning to her side.

"Don't worry, I'm not ready either - we can go together!" he smiled as he offered her his hand. She stopped, smirking, and took it.

"Alright, you caught me," she smiled, nodding knowingly they began half running half skipping out of Kadic. "How embarrassing for you, though, to leave shopping for your new friends until this late.."

"You're one to talk," Deane laughed, enjoying himself as they walked towards town.

* * *

Nearby, two people watched the exchange, the only sound between them the soft crinkle of chocolate wrappers being undone and folded. A white haired boy stood beneath the tree that had become his daily haunt, his constant pale-haired companion reclining on a low-hanging branch as she ate. Her breath misted in the frosty air and peeled off of the warm chocolate as it dribbled down one side of her mouth. Folding the most recent chocolaty victim's wrapper in a neat and brightly colored square, she rested her hands on her lap, extending her feet out along the length of the limb, regarding the receding backs of the two whose conversation they had just overheard.

"Interesting…" Anastasia said, her violet eyes regarding them coldly. "I thought she was with Odd or…Jeremie?"

"Don't be so suspicious," Mikhail sighed, resting a hand on her head. Anastasia closed her eyes, nestling into the familiar texture of his warm hand. Laughing softly at her, Mikhail leaned in, cleaning off the chocolate with his mouth and moving into a kiss. When they separated, there was color in the pale girl's cheeks, but she didn't complain.

"He's strange…" she said, continuing her train of thought as though nothing had happened, and Mikhail nodded in agreement.

"The way he walks says he's lonely, but his smile says that he's happy, which is confusing. Girl's find him attractive because of the vibe he gives off and his appearance. What do you think?" he said, leaning back against the tree disinterestedly.

"He…annoys me…" she said, unwrapping a chocolate.

Mikhail laughed again, his soft tones washing over her like warm, tropical waves. "Then he truly is special."

* * *

Ulrich and Yumi watched, their mouths agape, as Odd devoured his third helping of lunch, washing it down with a large mug of hot chocolate. Burping, he set his cup down and looked at them innocently…or as innocent as one can muster with a chocolate mustache.

"You know, Odd…" Yumi started, "…that really can't be good for your system…" Odd shrugged, wiping his mustache away with his sleeve.

"It's the trials of life, Yumi. Those who eat survive!" Odd smiled, turning to the scraps on his plate as Ulrich shook his head in both amusement and disgust.

"I have to tell you, good buddy, that was disgusting…but also impressive!" Ulrich grinned, offering his best friend a high five, their hands making a sharp clack as they connected.

"I am special, aren't I?" Odd said, winking at Yumi, who just rolled her eyes. Ulrich raised his eyebrows protectively, and Odd raised his arms in mock surprise, knowing Ulrich understood he was no threat to him and Yumi.

"Hmm, debatable…" Ulrich shrugged, pretending to think about it.

"This is adorable, why don't you two kiss?" Yumi sighed, teasing her best friends.

Odd raised his hands, "As much as I'd love to, I have a feeling Ulrich's saving them for someone very special…for instance, someone sitting right at this very table- OW!" he cut off as Ulrich slammed a hand into him, eyebrow twitching.

"Something you wanted to say, Odd?" he growled.

"Eh…haha, no…oh, yes!" the blonde boy said, squirming out of Ulrich's grip and sprinting over to a message board. "This!" he cried across the room, slapping a piece of paper.

"What are you talking about now, Odd?" a voice sounded behind him. Recognizing it instantly, he spun around in his chair to see Jeremie.

"The Christmas Eve dance of course!" Odd beamed, pulling Ulrich and Jeremie together on either side of him as he gazed at the poster, squeezing them with excitement. "The ultimate chance for every single male in the school!"

"Odd…are you drooling?"

"Has anyone gotten a date yet?" Jeremie asked, pushing up his glasses. Ulrich and Yumi shook their heads, but Odd beamed at Ulrich.

"Well, Ulrich's obviously going to ask Yumi, so they're all set –OW! Yumi…you've got a really good right hook, you know that?" Odd laughed easily, looking into the embarrassed and furious faces of his friends. "I think I might…run, now?"

"I mean…obviously we're going together…" Yumi muttered quietly to herself, blushing.

"Anyway, who are you taking, Odd?" Jeremie asked, steering the topic out of dangerous waters.

"Hmm, well, not yet. I have someone in mind, though!" Odd said excitedly, glancing around the canteen.

"May God have mercy on the poor girl's body and soul," Yumi said, her eyes closed and hands up to ward against evil, Ulrich at her side. "Amen."

"Is it Emily?" Jeremie asked, startling Odd.

"Wha – well, yes, but how did you know?" Odd spluttered.

Yumi rolled her eyes, but Ulrich answered. "Anyone can see the way you look at her in class, Odd."

"Is it that bad?"

"Mhmm."

"Anyway, here's your chance Odd, that's Emily over there, right?" Jeremie said, gesturing over Odd's shoulder with the mug he had rescued from the deteriorating stack near Rosa while the others were talking. Odd's head quickly turned to look, finding her in the lunch line relatively easily, his eyes met hers, and she waved tentatively at him, a weak response all Odd could muster.

"I'll…wait till she sits down, then I'll ask her…" Odd said, nervous. "So, what about you, Jeremie? Are you gonna ask Aelita?" Odd asked, teasing Jeremie relentlessly. Jeremie shook his head, calmly taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

"Actually, Odd, I've been asked already and I said yes," Jeremie said. Yumi pressed closer, eager for the details.

"Really? Who is it?!" she teased, but Jeremie shrugged her off.

" Sarah Greenan from my math class," Jeremie said calmly as Odd's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"What?! Gorgeous Greenan? The really smart, beautiful exchange student?"

"Maybe she asked me instead of you," Jeremie said with a smirk, happy to return the teasing for once. "because I don't think that the Mediterranean Sea is a type of sushi!"

"Isn't it?!" Odd asked, looking around his friends, but finding only "no"s, started laughing alongside them, causing them to crack up even more. "Haha, I honestly thought it was."

"Well Odd, good luck," Yumi said, pointing over to where Emily had just sat down. Taking a deep breath, the courageous blonde mustered himself and stepped forward, sliding across the bench to sit opposite Emily. Very smooth.

Taking a deep, breath he smiled.

"Hey."

* * *

Meanwhile, Aelita and Deane had walked from shop to shop, looking at gifts, trying on clothes, and just having an all-around fun time. By the time they left the last toy store, they were both laughing.

"Why do we keep going into shops we don't need stuff from?" Aelita said, her giggles subsiding, Deane shrugged, the contents of his bags shifting slightly as he did. Aelita wished she had paid more attention to what he had bought…maybe he had gotten something for her.

She would just have to wait.

As they walked down the street, talking amicably, Aelita stopped in front of a store they had overlooked, peering in the window. Deane looked at Aelita incredulously.

"Really…Dress shopping?" Deane grimaced, but Aelita beamed.

"Yup! The Winter Dance is coming up…and it's on Christmas Eve! Everyone's going!" Aelita smiled, as she looked at Deane. Their eyes met and held, but just as she thought he was going to ask her to the dance, his phone beeped, shattering the moment. Taking it out, he read the text aloud.

"It's from Yumi. Let's see, it says…'Hey Deane - you still out shopping? Aelita's out shopping too…maybe you've met up with her? Anyway! You heard about the dance yet? It's in 3 days. I'm going with Ulrich, Odd's going with Emily, and Jeremie's going with some "Sarah". The guys say to let you know to get a move on before all the pretty ones are gone (I agree).'" Deane read, baffled by the part about Jeremie's new social life. "Einstein's going to a dance?"

"Oh, everyone's going with someone…" Aelita said, turning away from the dress shop and walking away, he head hung slightly. Suddenly, Deane understood, realizing that everyone she had expected to ask her had found other dates, and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. He threw a glance at the dress shop again and grabbed Aelita by the arm.

"Come on! Get in there!" Deane said, smiling as he shoved her towards the shop.

"What? Why?" Aelita said, confused as they neared the shop. "I'm not going with anyone, I can't get a dress."

"Because…" Deane said spinning her around to face him, leaning in he smiled, "we're gonna go together." Aelita's faced heated up.

"Well then! Could you at least ask me like a gentlemen?" she teased, holding out her hand. He rolled his eyes but took her hands in his.

"Aelita Stones, student of Kadic Academy for the Arts, friend of Ulrich, Odd, Yumi, Jeremie, and William, and co-members with Odd of the unofficial Defend Everything Cute Club, will you honor a humble student by allowing me to take you to the Christmas Dance with me?" Deane asked sincerely, his eyes dancing, though. As the words hung in the air, he felt his face go red and watched as Aelita's face somehow turned an even deeper shade.

"Yes! I will, Deane, thank you!" Aelita smiled, placing a small kiss on his cheek before grabbing his hand and dragging him into the dress store.

"Now, let's get a dress!" Aelita smiled, dragging the poor boy by his hand.

"But I-" Deane cried, he struggled in her grip. "You're freakishly strong for a girl of your size!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Aelita said, spinning on the spot and grinning, Deane managed to free himself.

"Just that-" he said leaning closer. "I didn't know elves take steriods..." he said stone faced before beaming as bright as day, Aelita just simply rolled her eyes at him.

"Funny funny! Now c'mon! Dresses!" Aelita said dragging him in after her.

* * *

The night of the Christmas Dance arrived at last, with much anticipation from all attending. Kadic had gone all-out this year. Huge trees adorned with vibrant hues of scarlet and gold decorated the entry hall to the gym, and fake snow lay in piles along either side of the hallway. Mistletoe hung in every doorway, and the dance floor was dark except for the disco lights from the stage, tables scattered here and there for tired dancers. It was even rumored that the Subsonics were going to make a guest appearance for a brief set sometime later that night.

Outside, in the cool night air, students gathered in their finest, awaiting entry to the object of their eagerness for the past few weeks. The group stood together, all the guys in suits and a flower the same color as the dress of their partner. Odd stood with Emily, she in an emerald green dress; Deane stood with Aelita, who wore a deep scarlet dress that complimented her hair perfectly; Ulrich stood with Yumi, both in black, though Yumi's dress seemed to change colors, from black to purple as the light changed, as mysterious and guarded as she ever was; and, lastly, Jeremie stood with Sarah, who wore a crystal blue dress, light flashing off the patterned designs as Jeremie stood to one side, looking very pleased with himself.

Ulrich took this time to glance around at his group of friends, his eyes met Deane's whose eyes were on the ground, he noticed a twinge of sadness sweep across his face before he shook it off.

Catching Ulrich looking at him, he shot him a wink and leaned over Aelita's shoulder to whisper in her ear.

"What's wrong Ulrich?" Yumi asked, placing her hand on his arm. Turned to face her fully, he smiled reassuring her.

"Nothing, just thinking," Ulrich replied, drawing a confused look from Yumi, but she tilted her head, slipping her hand in his.

A ripple went through the students as Jim appeared; waving what appeared to be a fishing rod. Bending over to whisper in Aelita's ear, Deane whispered what it really was.

"He has mistletoe attached to the part where the hook should be," he laughed.

"Is it also patterned like a candy cane?" Aelita asked back eagerly.

"I'm not sure…possibly…"

"We should ask him."

"Haha, maybe later."

"Now, listen up!" Jim called, strutting in front of the gathering, "I'm sure you're all eager to get inside, but a few ground rules. Number 1, anyone caught disobeying school rules will be expelled from the dance and given up to any amount of hours of detention that I, and Mr. Delmas, consider appropriate. Two, no grinding. Three, no touching my candy cane mistletoe," he whacked his fishing rod.

"Yep, candy cane," Aelita said.

"Candy cane," Deane agreed.

"Now…in you go!" Jim called, stepping to one side as the students swarmed towards the warm doors. It was way too cold outside as it was, not considering the relatively thin dressed that most of the girls were wearing. Suddenly, Aelita was grateful that she had chosen thicker material. Deane slipped his hand into hers, and she turned to look at him. He smiled, and she smiled back as they stepped towards the dance.

"Shall we go?"

The dance raged on inside the building, the music blaring through the usually quiet Kadic woods and disturbing two regulars there, who turned their eyes uncaringly towards the source of commotion.

"Mikhail…" Anastasia said, walking closer to him. He understood her concern, recognizing the concern for the amount of people present she showed. Being frail and confined to the house did have its downfalls after all, he conceded.

"You're not afraid of a few people, are you, M'lady?" he said, pressing his lips to her ear. She shook her head, and he squeezed her hand, stepping a little faster towards the gym. She shook her head again, as if to clear it, and turned back, pulling him with her. Laughing, Mikhail followed her, knowing where they were going.

"Of course. The princess must have her own ball, mustn't she?" he mused, walking by her side as they approached the river. By its banks was a fabric pavilion, constructed for dancing when bands played there, though it was quiet now. It was lit all around by lanterns, and Anastasia dragged him in there. It was quiet, but they started dancing, slowly, elegantly, as if in one of their family's ball rooms at home, undisturbed by anyone.

Once more, alone.

Across the city, another couple had moved out to a quieter place. Aelita and Deane had moved outside.

"Seriously, why is it so hot in there?!" Deane complained fanning his shirt against his chest.

"It's a gym full of students dancing, what did you expect?" Aelita teased, Deane rolled his eyes and stood up straight.

"I suppose you're right! Anyway, I'm thinking of dying my fringe, what do you think?" Deane asked, taking a quick glance up at his fringe.

"Depends, what colour?" Aelita asked, reaching up to touch his hair, he shuddered under her soft touch.

"Thinking of an aqua blue?" he replied, his mind turning blank at her touch.

"I think that'd suit you well!" Aelita beamed, letting her hand fall onto his cheek before slowly falling off his face.

"Your hair is beautiful, by the way," Deane smiled, raising his hand to the side of her head and resting it on her cheek. Blushing, she leaned into his touch.

"I'm having a great night tonight, Deane," Aelita smiled. She felt him take her hands into his.

"Me too Aelita," he replied, wrapping her in a hug, feeling her instantly return it. "and it looks like it's about to get better," he said, smiling, as the sound of a slow dance drifted out of a nearby window. Casually, as though it were the most normal thing in the world, Aelita placed both her hands over his shoulders as he tentatively rested his hands on her waist.

They began - dancing to a particularly soft song as the snow began to fall. She pressed her face into his chest, marveling at how right it felt, and closed her eyes, immersing herself in the magic.

It took all her effort to bring a small part of her back to reality to tell him what she had wanted to all night.

Stopping, she drew back, looking into his eyes happily, whispering her message with all the emotion she felt at the thoughts themselves.

"Merry Christmas, Deane," Aelita blushed.

"Merry Christmas, Aelita," he replied.

Their faces moved closer and closer…

A couple of inches apart…

Even closer…

Only an inch.

As they closed the gap, the door nearby swung open and they instantly jumped apart. It was Yumi, and by the look on her face, she had brought trouble. It didn't look as though she had seen what was about to happen, and Aelita breathed a sigh of relief. Looking behind her friend, she saw that Yumi was followed closely by the rest of the gang, minus Odd and Jeremie's dates.

"Aelita!" Yumi said, running as fast as she could in her dress towards her friend.

"Yumi? What's wrong?" Aelita asked anxiously, looking at Deane nervously out of the corner of her eye, hoping that Yumi hadn't brought the news she thought she had.

"Xana," Yumi said breathless, reaching her. Aelita felt her mouth go dry at the sound of what she had most wanted kept secret, and nodded knowingly.

"Umm, who's Xana?" Deane asked, feeling slightly ignored; after all, he _was_ only a foot away.

"It's umm..." Yumi began, seeming to realize he was there for the first time. She looked back at the others for help.

"I think that the time has finally arrived, Yumi," Jeremie said matter-of-factly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Time for what?" Deane questioned, taking a step back.

"Come with us," Ulrich said, putting a hand on his shoulder as he marched past, "and we'll show you." As the group began towards the forest, Aelita stood in front of Deane, watching as the others ran off into the darkness, ready to once again fight the evil lurking there.

"Aelita, what's going on?" Deane questioned, watching as the others disappeared from view.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, holding out her hand. He glanced down at her proffered hand, mulling it over in his mind. Finding his answer, he smiled, placing his hand in hers.

"Yes," he said, and she smiled softly as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you...now, follow me!" Aelita smiled, pulling him after her.

* * *

**SO -** So I hope you liked this chapter, remember to leave reviews to let us know what you think! Anyway, bye!

**NS - **I love you guys~ Return the favor by leaving your thoughts in the review section and, as always, big thumbs up to ShadowOdd on his profile too. Thanks guys!

**Quotes**

ShadowOdd - "WOOOOOOO" (excitement)

Noble Scotsman - "HA. I'M DONE." (about finishing the chapter)


	5. Chapter 5

**SO - **Well, time for chapter 5! I hope you guys are enjoying this story! If not or you have a problem with anything, don't be afraid to PM us! Anyway, enjoy!

**NS** - Yay~chapter~five. Sorry it's late...that was my fault. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Deane followed the others as they ran through the cool, winter forest. Snow weighed down the boughs of the trees, sliding softly to the ground as the gang ran past, their touch disturbing the otherwise tranquil scene. Lifting his eyes to the stars above, Deane shuddered, accepting the undeniable truth of this moonlit forest, its hidden magics and mystery anointing him with adventurous spirit as he passed. Glancing behind him, the dark shapes of trees obscuring what little light fell upon the open grounds of Kadic, he realized that here, deep in these woods, they were far beyond its stony reach. Returning his gaze to that in front of him, he blinked off weariness, focusing instead on the physical struggle for each person to move with any speed at all through the deep snow.

Suddenly, and without warning, they came to a stop. Looking around, he discovered that they had come into a small clearing, obscured from the path they had just left. He opened his mouth to ask what they were doing, but Ulrich, catching his eye, winked and pressed a finger silently to his lips. Odd crouched down with Jeremie and proceeded to clear the snow off of a small, round area, and Deane realized that it was a manhole. Ulrich stepped forward and lifted it effortlessly, Yumi and Jeremie disappearing inside instantly. Odd began his decent too, pausing at the top to call encouragingly to Deane.

"Hey, you coming?" he called, grinning as he disappeared into the gloom that was all Deane could see of the manhole.

"Where are we going?" he asked, turning to Aelita. She smiled, to him, and turned to face him, giving him her full attention.

"Do you trust me?" she asked, reminding him of their prior conversation. He nodded wordlessly, and Aelita beamed, swooping down to place a kiss softly on his cheek. Before he knew it, both he and Aelita had descended into the manhole, and Ulrich, after joining them, slid the cover over the hole, sealing them inside.

It was pitch black, but Yumi and Odd held torches, their beams of light reflecting off of the water as the rest of the gang grabbed skateboards and scooters. Incredulous, but not wanting to be left behind, Deane followed their lead, noting with affection how comfortable Aelita was on a board as they sped through the blackness, guided by the reassuring beams shining in front and behind them.

Eventually, Deane could not fathom how long they had been lost in the darkness, they emerged into the night, the brightness making them squint in discomfort for a second. Turning to look at his surroundings as his friends sprinted towards a familiar building.

He was at the Factory.

A flood of memories threatened to drown him, and he rested a hand on his head as he sprinted after his friends. This was the place he, Mikhail and Anastasia had visited on his first day here. Anastasia…he didn't really know why, but something about her smacked of superiority. He scowled, annoyed at the thought, and silently wished that she would go through the things that he had – that would show her, surely. As he caught up to the group, sliding down to the ground on a rope, Aelita noticed his expression.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked worriedly, looking him over with concern.

"Sorry, just thinking," Deane said, smiling reassuringly before noticing that Jeremie was stepping into the elevator, his smile disappearing instantly as he called out to him. "Wait!"

Jeremie turned, an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Isn't that elevator…unsafe..? Since it's been out of use for so long?" Deane murmured, Jeremie's incredulous expressing shaming him. Jeremie doubled over with laughter and punched in a key code, beckoning them into the elevator as powerful motors began humming, beginning their descent.

"Does that answer your question, Deane?" he asked jovially, and Deane nodded humbly.

"Ah, we're here…" Jeremie noted, giving Ulrich and Odd a meaningful glance and jerking his head towards Deane. Shrugging, the girls and Jeremie stepped out of the elevator, leaving Deane alone with the boys.

"Ah…How do we put this…" Odd said, scratching his head and looking at his friend.

"Just...keep an open mind, okay?" Ulrich said, shrugging. Deane raised his eyebrows at their secretive nature, but nodded slightly, stepping after his friends into the room.

His jaw dropped.

The room was more of a cavern, hidden in this mountain of a factory and lit by strange, pulsing lights. Looking at the ceiling, he traced the shape of wires that ran down every available surface in a jungle of electric vines. It took him a while to trace their progress before finding their source; a giant computer and a semi dome that commanded the center of the room.

"Welcome to the Lab!" Odd beamed, spreading his arms as though displaying a splendid piece of art. "The place where dreams come alive, as well as the programs!"

"Just don't hold your breath…" Ulrich muttered darkly.

Jeremie rolled his eyes, easing himself into the seat that was situated in front of the computer screen. Deane walked over to stand behind him, somewhat awed as he answered Odd. "The Lab? What's this place for?"

Jeremie laughed. "Remember that Greek symbol that Aelita had painted?" Jeremie asked, typing on his computer. Deane's arm twitched, and he glanced down at it.

"How can I forget…" he muttered. "Yup, why?"

"We lied. It's actually the symbol of Xana…his eye," Jeremie explained, tugging on the bottom on one of his own.

"You know, it's great being lied to in general, but what the hell is 'Xana'?" Deane asked, glancing around at the others as he crossed his arms.

"Xana is a multi-agent program that lives on a virtual world called Lyoko, which also happens to be stored directly on the mainframe of this super computer a few level below us," Aelita said, pointing downwards with the index fingers of both hands. Jeremie nodded, inputting the final key commands into the computer and turning to face Deane as a whoosing sound was heard from below. Ulrich, Yumi, and Odd started towards a ladder leading downwards, and without even glancing at Deane, swung down.

"By using structures on Lyoko we call 'towers', Xana can launch attacks on the real world. We're here to repel his attack and purge the tower of his influence," Jeremie continued, turning as Aelita continued.

"However, in order to deactivate the towers, we have to travel to Lyoko and deactivate them manually," Aelita finished. Deane nodded, noticing that he had become interested as their explanation became more and more complex.

"How do I know you're not trying to trick me?" Deane questioned, resisting the urge to throw in "again". He felt Aelita's hand slide into his, and Jeremie shrugged, pushing his glasses up his nose again before turning back to his computer.

"You don't."

"Jeremie…" Aelita said, throwing him a disapproving glare, which he simply shrugged off, smirking. "You told me you trusted me, right?"

"Yes…" Deane replied hesitantly, and her face lit up.

"Then trust me, ok?" she said, pulling him towards the ladder, disappearing down first with quick, practiced motions. This decent was a lot brighter than the first into the sewers, and Deane nearly fell off the ladder with shock as he saw the scanner slide shut with Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich inside of them. Within a few minutes, the scanners had opened again, devoid of their prior occupants, and Aelita deftly stepped inside one, smiling at him. Her scanner closed, and Deane's heart fluttered, hastily clambering into the final scanner as the one directly opposite her also closed.

"Scanning…Deane…"

Deane seemed to hear the voice in his head, and he felt a small tremor pass through his body as some foreign system scanned it, the lights pressing in on him like the pressure of a thousand spotlights upon a lonely, stage frightened child. Before enough time for him to panic had passed, though, he felt himself disappearing.

"…Virtualization!"

* * *

Deane was floating in a sea of light, the waters pleasantly warm as sheets of data swirled around him, obscuring his vision. Suddenly, the dusty orange of a desert landscape seemed to form itself around him, the ground rushing up faster than seemingly possible to meet his unsteady feet.

He crashed heavily to the hard desert floor, totally unprepared for the landing.

The dusty desert light shone brilliantly into Deane's eyes as he staggered to his feet, and as he dusted himself off, his hands dropped to his sides in surprise once more. His friends stood in front of him, but they were no longer the friends he knew and loved. They were different…a certain hardness had come over their features and was set firmly in their eyes, as though expecting trouble at any moment. They were dressed in full body suits with varying designs and colors, but Deane suspected they were all as apt as the next. Twin sword hilts protruded over the shoulders of Ulrich and Odd had claws, though he held his arm aloof, as though it were a gun. Deane was sure the two girls were just as well equipped.

"You alright?" Ulrich asked, slapping him on the back. When Deane shook his head uncertainly, he laughed heartily, his laughed spreading to the rest of the group. "Well, you certainly look the part."

Deane glanced down at himself and proceeded to nearly have another heart attack. He was wearing a body suit like the others, but seemed to most closely resemble Odd's, he noticed. Unlike Odd's though, he didn't have purple claw gloves, and his right sleeve seemed to have been cut off. Running his fingers up and down the smooth skin, he checked fervently for the burn that had become so much a part of his everyday life, but to no avail. It had disappeared.

Deane's breathing came slightly heavier as he determined to accept this new twist of fate and, especially spooked at the loss of his burn, he took the time to examine his suit more closely. Purple and black designs swirled up his legs and a purple belt was tied about his waist, a black one-sleeved shirt hung about his upper body, patterned in purple, with one line of design following the contours of his body vertically and another two curving off to either side, swirling and eventually tapering off. Lastly, around his neck hung a low black scarf; pulling it over his mouth, he felt somewhat more relaxed, and his breathing came easier.

"Feeling better?" Aelita asked, laying a gloved hand on his arm.

"A little…" he responded, shrugging to get used to his new attire.

"Well, brace yourself," Yumi said, pulling two fans out from behind her back; they looked razor-sharp. "We've got company."

Deane raised his eyes to the horizon, spotting a dust cloud heading towards them quite quickly, and beyond that…

"Is that the tower?" he asked Ulrich, who nodded.

"Focus on fighting first, tower later," he advised, running alongside Yumi as the Lyoko Warriors began their counter-attack on Xana's forces. He checked himself desperately for a weapon, and felt a tug on his back. Spinning around, he saw Odd grinning next to Aelita, who threw him a curved short staff.

"What do I do with this?" he asked them, and Odd laughed, making archery motions with his arms.

"Try pulling back the string."

"But…there's no string…" Deane protested, turning the bow over in his hands.

"Trust me," Aelita said, looking into his eyes. Deane nodded and, feeling silly, raised the bow and ran his fingers past where the bowstring should be. To his surprise, a shimmering purple bowstring that appeared to be made out of energy appeared, as solid to his touch as a normal bowstring would appear. "Try pulling it back," Aelita suggested, and he did just that, the bow humming happily with power as he released the bowstring. To his disappointment, though, no arrow sped through the air to impale the rock he had been aiming at.

"Try pulling an arrow from your quiver," Odd suggested, fingering the oval tube on Deane's back. Feeling silly for not considering it sooner, Deane reached behind his head and comfortably retrieved a glistening purple and black arrow that seemed to be made out of the same material as the bowstring. He had thought about reaching for one arrow, and he had only felt one in the quiver – he wondered whether he could summon multiple arrows at once, but returned his attention to the rock once more. He raised the bow, drawing the arrow back smoothly and easily, and released cleanly, the arrow sinking its biting point deep into the solid center of the rock. Spinning in triumph, his face fell as he saw two creatures sneaking up on his friend's turned backs.

"Odd! Aelita! Behind you!" he called, pointing. Without another word, Odd and Aelita sprung apart, the lasers fired from the strange creatures' mouths sailing harmlessly out across the desert. Odd closed on the monster instantly, knocking its head away with his fists, leaving scratch marks on its face, and vaulted over it, small projectiles firing from his wrists as he hung suspended over his target. Aelita, on the other hand, immediately put more distance between her monster and herself. Shimmering spheres of pink, fluorescent energy appeared in her hands, and she expertly blocked the creature's next few attacks, absorbing the lasers into her own field of energy, and suddenly swiped her arm through the air, the pink energy uncoiling itself and slashing the creature in half. The skirmish took all of fifteen seconds, and the two vanquished creatures dissolved into nothingness as Aelita and Odd turned to help the other.

Deane was awed at their teamwork.

"Now comes the fun part," Odd bragged, stretching and walking leisurely towards the melee happening between Ulrich and Yumi and seemingly the entirety of Xana's cohorts. Aelita and Deane started after him, their pace unhurried and sure of itself.

"Aelita!" Jeremie's voice said, cutting through the lull in activity, Aelita immediately summoned a ball of energy before responding.

"What is it, Jeremie?"

"Mikhail just called me, he says-"

"Mikhail?" Deane asked. "Is he in on this too?"

"No, no…He's just-" Aelita began before being cut off by Jeremie.

"Listen to me! The whole school's been covered by some sort of neurotoxin – there are already people unconscious on the floor of the gym."

"Oh no…" Aelita said, her face going pale.

"So if you could hurry that'd be-"

"On it, Jeremie," she said, waving her hand over a star braclet on her wrist. "Sorry, Deane, but training will have to wait for another day. Keep him safe for today, ok, Odd?" she said as pink, luminescent wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, and leapt into the sky. Dodging lasers and other creatures, she hurtled towards the tower, and soon Deane noticed its color change from red to blue.

"What now?" he asked, turning to Odd.

"Now…" he replied, Deane's sight already swirling with colors and sheets of data as he was re-submerged in the sea of tranquility that he had been plunged into after stepping into the scanner, "...we wake up."

It was later that evening. When Deane had first returned, he found his friends gathered anxiously around his scanner, as though afraid he wouldn't come back. Shrugging aside their glances, he instead focused on Jeremie, who was having a conversation calmly on the phone. He had turned to the gang and told them that a "return to the past" would not be necessary.

"Return to the past?" Deane asked, his eyebrow furrowed. "You don't mean…_returning_…to the past, do you? That's not possible…is it?"

Jeremie had given him an appraising glance, as though judging his ability to cope with the information he was about to give, and whether or not to dilute it. Deane guessed that same look had been directed towards Odd on more than one occasion. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he decided on a response. "Yes, it is possible, and we've had to launch one on quite a few occasions when the attacks by Xana got out of hand. When a return to the past is launched, only those who have been to Lyoko remember the details before we launched one – naturally, the school is unaware of Xana's, or Lyoko's, existence," Jeremie had paused to push up his glasses. "The problem is, every time we launch a return to the past, Xana gains more power. We try to prevent that, if we can."

"So...the person you were talking to on the phone…does he know about Lyoko?" Deane asked carefully.

"Oh, was it Jimbo?" Odd asked excitedly, referring to Jim by what he likes his friends to call him.

Jeremie grinned mischievously. "It was an old chess partner, you could say."

"Definitely not Jim, then," Odd grinned, making Aelita giggle.

"Well, I think it's time I got home…" Yumi said, standing up and stretching. "Call me if anything happens, ok guys?"

"I'll walk you home," Ulrich said, immediately volunteering. As the elevator doors closed around them, the others saw Yumi slip her hand into Ulrich's, color high in her cheeks as she made the very deliberate decision to move closer to Ulrich.

"…Hey…hey! Deane!" Odd's voice cut through the mist of Deane's thoughts as he remembered the events of the day. "Are you ok?"

"Um…yeah…" Deane said, blinking the past out of his eyes. "I'm fine."

"Well…we're leaving. Coming?" Odd said, walking towards the doors to the boys' dorms. Deane blinked again, not realizing that they were already on the 1st floor landing of the stairwell. He glanced at Aelita and suddenly remembered why he was dressed up – why they all were – why Ulrich was walking Yumi home tonight.

"I'll be up soon guys, I'm gonna walk Aelita back to her dorm," Deane smiled, glancing at Aelita who was, while flushed, smiling. "She _was_ my date, after all."

"Fine," Jeremie said, turning away, opening the door slightly more violently than needed. Deane just caught something along the lines of "menknurlan" before the door swung closed behind him. Odd grinned apologetically.

"He always starts spouting dwarvish when he's tired…don't think anything of it," he said, waving goodnight as he too disappeared into the dorms.

"…Dwarvish?" Deane asked Aelita as they began to ascend to the second level. She shrugged, like Odd, passing it off as nothing.

"He's also taught himself three dialects of elvish from across the different universes," she said, as though this were normal behavior. "He had a lot of free time before Lyoko."

"I see…"

They walked the rest of the distance in silence, thinking. As they reached Aelita's room, Deane turned to go, but her hand shot out, finding purchase on his sleeve.

"Stay?" she asked, her eyes searching his. Shrugging in mock defeat, he nodded, and she pulled him inside, beaming. "Good."

"Do you want me to tuck you in?" he asked jokingly, but Aelita grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

"That's a great idea," she said, waltzing towards her bed. "Now turn around so that I can get changed for bed," she demanded, pointing at the wall. Shrugging, Deane closed the door and faced it and the wall, appreciating for the first time how talented an artist was – it was understandable that the group would pass her off as Odd's cousin, as talent seems to be rife within his family.

"Alright, it's safe!" Aelita called, her voice somewhat muffled. Turning, he took off his jacket and rested it on a chair, slinging his loosened tie over his shoulder. He opened his mouth to tell her to get in bed, but closed it, confused, as he saw her already beneath the covers.

"One step ahead of you, Hilliard," Aelita laughed, winking. Deane rolled his eyes and, sitting by her bedside, began to tuck her in.

"Funny funny, Miss Stones…" Deane muttered, rolling his eyes. Nodding to himself, satisfied that she was comfortably tucked-in, he rose, turning to leave.

"Wait…" Aelita said, her voice somewhat small and unsure. As Deane turned back, she sat up – all of Deane's tucking going to waste as she clutched the top of her covers to her chin. "You can…stay…if you want…" she mumbled, embarrassed. Deane blinked, then also began to blush.

"I, umm... Uh..." Deane stuttered, not sure what to say in a situation like this. Aelita lowered her eyes, turning away, as though disappointed.

"It's fine if you don't want to…" she said.

"I'll stay," Deane said quickly, walking back to sit by Aelita's bedside. "if you want me to," he finished. "What should I-"

"You can sleep here, if you want…" Aelita blushed, patting the spot next to her on the bed. Deane smiled and quickly removed his shoes, laying on top of the covers as she lay under them. She cuddled up to him, resting her head on his chest, and his heartbeat began to come quicker, slowing as he felt her breathing also behind to slow, weariness overcoming them both.

Deane's eyes were heavy when he heard Aelita murmur something in her sleep, her face tranquil and happy as she did. Kissing her forehead, he returned her simple phrase with all the sincerity he could muster.

"Merry Christmas, Aelita."

* * *

**SO - **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! Admittedly, Noble had a much bigger influence on this chapter than I did! Noble's writing level surpassed mine by like a million! That being said, they're going to be modest and say it's equal! Noble's just a better writer than me so praise Noble! Anyway! Leave some reviews! See you next week!

**NS - **We had a great time writing this,so please leave a review~! Love you guys, byee~

**Quotes**

ShadowOdd - "-falls to knee's sobbing and grabs the end of your t-shirt- Steam games..." (discussing gaming)

Noble Scotsman - "YAY SWTOR" (discussing gaming)


End file.
